Intermodal Tank Transport System, Components, and Methods

ABSTRACT

An intermodal tank container and complementary chassis, and features and methods for use thereof, are disclosed. The intermodal tank container and chassis has an appearance and length substantially similar to a non-intermodal OTR tank trailer, while affording the same capacity as an intermodal tank container. The design of the tank container allows for an improved, lighter design for the chassis and for improved usability of the tank container in intermodal environments such as with rail cars. The reduced weight of the chassis allows for a greater payload while remaining within various applicable legal restrictions for gross vehicle weight, axle weight, etc.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/818,559, filed Jun. 18, 2010, which claims priority toprovisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/269,083, filed Jun. 18, 2009,the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a bulk material container in the form of a tankcontainer for storing and transporting liquid or the like and, inparticular, to a tank container adapted for intermodal use, relates toother components therefor including a truck chassis and a rail well car,and relates to methods of intermodal transport.

BACKGROUND

Bulk shipping may generally be classified into several types based onthe material being transported. For instance, pelletized material (suchas bulk polymer) or mined material (such as coal) may be carried by ahopper car that allows for quickly depositing its payload into areceptacle. Such hopper cars are unsuitable for carrying dry cargo suchas palletized loads which are generally shipped via trailer or drycontainer having a generally rectangular shape and compartment. Eitheris unsuitable for the third major category of material, specificallyliquid.

The term intermodal transport as used herein refers to transporting bulkloads stored or loaded in containers without unloading the container.For instance, a container may be filled with loaded pallets, transportedfrom a first site via over-land truck and container chassis, and thenloaded onto a ship or railcar for further transport, likely subsequentlyloaded onto a second delivery truck and container chassis for deliveryto its final destination. Throughout, the materials in the containerremained loaded.

Intermodal transport standards are maintained by the InternationalStandards Organization (ISO). Intermodal transport has received variouscontributions from around the world, including the United Kingdom,Canada, and the United States, and the ISO standards evolved from USDepartment of Defense standardization for military use.

Since about 1984 a form of intermodal transport known as “double-stackrail transport” has been used. As its name implies, this form onlyapplies to rail transport, and this form involves stacking one containeron top of another. The rail car itself is a either a flat car or a wellcar (that is, a railcar having a “well”) for partially receiving abottom container therein.

For dry good transport, these stackable containers are the most commonform of intermodal transport, though they need not always be stacked.The stackable containers are typically 8′ or 8′6″ wide, by 8′, 8′6″, or9′6″ high, with a length of 20′, 40′, 48′, or 53′, though other heightshave been considered. A container 9′6″ inches in height is commonlyreferred to as a “high cube” container and may be double stacked fortotal height of 19′, which is generally the maximum permitted underapplicable legal restrictions. Each container is provided with supportpoints, and the location of the support points is standardized so weightis properly transferred through the stacked containers. For instance, a53-foot container may be placed on top of a pair of 20-foot containers,the top container having supports 40 feet apart aligned with the outercorners of the bottom containers.

Liquid transport requires a tank container that differs from dry goodscontainers for obvious reasons. The approach for intermodal tankcontainers has been to size the tank within a frame that mimics theconstruction of the dry goods container. To be specific, the overalldimensions of tank containers have been made to conform to those of drygoods containers. A typical tank container includes a frame surroundingthe actual tank or vessel. The frame is eight feet by eight feet, sixinches, and provides the container with an overall length of 20 feet,the tank container thus being sized essentially the same as a 20-footdry goods container including support points. One benefit of a tankcontainer having these dimensions is that it allows the tank containerto be used on an intermodal rail car and in combination with dry goodscontainers. In other words, intermodal tank container development beganwith mimicking the dry goods container primarily for internationaltransport, and everything else related to these tank containers grewfrom there.

This developmental mentality has produced a number of detriments, manyof which are direct products of these design constraints. With respectto total costs, it is important in bulk shipping that little availablepayload is wasted on a per run basis. The tank within the frame is sizedto maximize the space available, and a typical prior art tank container20 feet in length carries a maximum of 26,000 liters with a productpayload weight of 48,000 pounds or less due to US federal highway grossweight restrictions, bridge laws, and axle load restrictions,collectively referred to herein as the applicable legal restrictions. Ingreater detail, a gross vehicle weight is not permitted to exceed 80,000pounds, which includes the tractor, the payload, and either the chassisand container or the integrated non-intermodal trailer.

While such tank container is generally matched in overall dimension tothe shortest size of dry goods containers, the weight still exceeds thatof the largest dry goods containers which are limited by the applicablelegal restrictions. In order to accommodate such tank container onover-land truck use, a chassis is provided that is significantlydifferent from that employed for dry goods use.

A chassis for dry goods use, along with a container thereon, gives acasual observer the impression of a typical semi tractor-trailerarrangement. One would see a semi tractor with a driver's cab, a chassiswith the container thereon that looks like a typical non-intermodaltrailer, and a fifth wheel hitch connecting the two. The overall height,width, and length of the chassis and container are substantially similarto that of the non-intermodal trailer. The intermodal dry goodscontainer is lowered and secured onto the chassis after removal from aship, or a railcar, or another truck, etc., transported to anotherlocation, and then removed from the chassis, while the standard traileris loaded and unloaded at each point (often being laden with palletizedloads).

In considering the chassis for a prior art intermodal tank container,the two things that should be recognized are the container's ladenweight, both in relative terms to a laden dry goods container and ingross terms, and the overall shape of the tank. As discussed above, theloaded tank container is much heavier than a loaded dry goods container,and the chassis for a dry goods container is designed only toaccommodate the weight of the dry goods container. At only 20 feet inlength versus a 40-foot dry goods container, the greater weight of theloaded tank container is over a smaller length. Accordingly, a chassisfor a tank container is specially designed for these physicalcharacteristics.

A tank chassis is commonly referred to as a gooseneck, drop-deck chassisdue to its shape and lower deck height. Longitudinally extendingsupports or beams span between a rear wheel assembly and the hitchconnection. Because the weight of the tank container is concentratedover the 20 foot span of the container, these beams are much larger andstronger than for a dry goods chassis. The gooseneck shape and drop deckfeature are results of the transported material being liquid: liquidmoves around during transport, and this weight shifting combines witheffects from being elevated to produce lateral forces that threatenrolling of the tank and chassis. The gooseneck and drop deck featureslower the center of gravity of the tank container and, hence, thecombination of the tank container and chassis to make the combined loadmore stable. In fact, the bulk of the weight of the beams is positionedbetween the rear wheel assembly of the chassis and a rear wheel assemblyof the semi tractor, below the hitch connection.

While providing the tank container with the minimal overall dimensionsof the smallest dry goods container, the resulting 20 foot tankcontainer is nonetheless heavier than a 40 or 53 foot dry goodscontainer, requiring a purpose specific chassis to be utilized. While atank container chassis is much more expensive to build, it is unsuitablefor use with dry goods containers (other than 20 foot dry goodscontainers).

As noted above, the gross vehicle weight is restricted by the applicablelegal restrictions to 80,000 pounds. For a prior art intermodalcontainer tank container and its accompanying tractor and chassis, theweight of the payload is generally in the range of 46,000 pounds to48,000 pounds, which is partly restricted by the weight of the heavygooseneck, drop-deck chassis required. For non-intermodal trailers, asimilar range of payload weight is also achieved, largely due to therequirement of the larger tractor/sleeper necessary for OTRapplications.

For prior art intermodal tank chassis, a special type of suspension isgenerally required, known as a spread axle rear tandem suspension thatmeets the US applicable legal restrictions. Under the gross vehicleweight restrictions, the 80,000 pounds is allotted to 12,000 pounds overthe tractor front axles, 34,000 over the tractor rear axles (i.e.,proximate the hitch connection), and 34,000 over the trailer/chassisrear axle pair. However, the prior art intermodal tank and chassisconcentrates too much weight at the tractor rear axles. There is anexception to the 34,000 pounds on the rear axle for the spread axle reartandem set up: by shifting the front axle of the two axles of thechassis rear pair to a 9′1″ spread (as opposed to the typical 49″spread), one is permitted to have up to 39,000 pounds on this pair, asthe weight is distributed over a greater area.

The spread axle rear tandem suspension is virtually required for anintermodal tank chassis. However, these systems are heavier, moreexpensive to operate, cause excessive tire wear, and are lessmaneuverable than a standard closed tandem suspension.

It should also be noted that, generally speaking, containers less than40 feet present issues for stacking in rail cars. A pair of 20 footcontainers are not stacked on top of a 40 or 53 foot container. Thelarger container does not have intermediate support points for theinterior ends of the shorter containers. So, 20 foot containers(including all prior art intermodal tank containers) need to be eitheron the bottom of a stacked arrangement or on top of another 20 footcontainer. For this reason, the need to transport a single or odd numberof 20 foot containers results in wasted rail capacity.

Accordingly, there has been a need for an improved intermodal tankcontainer, an improved chassis for intermodal tank containers, andrelated components and methods for using intermodal tank containers.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect, a tank container for intermodal liquidtank transport is disclosed including a single tank vessel having anon-rectangular cross-section for storing and discharging liquid, amanway for access to the interior of the vessel, the manway disposed onthe top of the vessel, and a discharge valve mounted at a rear portionof the vessel, including a front frame secured at least to a front endof the vessel, the front frame having at least two vertical supportscapable of supporting another intermodal container, and including asecond frame secured at least to a rear end of the vessel, the frontframe having at least two vertical supports capable of supportinganother intermodal container, wherein the vessel is mounted between theframes, the tank container has a length and a width that position thevertical support posts at approximately 8 feet apart in a lateraldirection and approximately 40 feet apart in the longitudinal directionin accordance with ISO intermodal shipping container standards, and thetank container is no greater than approximately 6 feet, 4 inches, inheight.

In some forms, the front frame and rear frame are mounted directed tothe vessel, the sides of the vessel are generally free of frame membersrunning the length of the tank container, the tank container furtherincluding a ladder mounted to a lateral side of the tank containerproximate the manway.

In some forms, the tank container further includes a cladding systemmounted to an exterior surface of the vessel, the cladding systemdefining the exterior of the tank container in the region between thefront and rear frames, the cladding system including spacers forsecuring portions of cladding material with the vessel, the spacersbeing formed with offset portions and of a polymeric material so as tobe resiliently deformable.

In some forms, the vessel holds at least 26,000 liters of liquid.

In other forms, different vessels may hold between 20,000 liters and27,000 liters. In such other forms, a diameter is provided for thevessel such that the payload is approximately 80% or greater of theavailable volume.

In another aspect, an arrangement for intermodal liquid transport isdisclosed including a chassis adapted for hitch connection with atractor, the chassis having a rear wheel assembly, a pair of straight,generally parallel beams defining a generally flat upper surface forremovably receiving an intermodal container, the flat upper surfaceproviding a support of and extending at least 40 feet, the flat uppersurface extending to and between a point at least above the rear wheelassembly and a point forward of the hitch connection, a front crossbeamextending laterally between the parallel beams and located at a forwardregion of the flat upper surface and forward of the hitch connection,and a rear crossbeam extending laterally between the parallel beams andlocated at a rearward region of the flat upper surface and rearward ofthe rear wheel assembly, and including a tank container no greater thanapproximately 6 feet, 4 inches, in height, the tank container removablysupportable by the chassis on the front and rear crossbeams thereof, thetank container having a front frame and a rear frame each having a pairof vertical support posts mateable with the front and rear crossbeams ina predetermined position, the vertical supports defining a footprint of40 foot in length and 8 feet in width in accordance with ISO standardsfor intermodal container stacking, and a single tank vessel for storingand discharging liquid, the vessel mounted between the frames. The widthof the tank container may exceed the width of the vertical supports,such as by being 102″ wide.

In some forms, the vertical supports conform to railroad stackingstandards to permit stacking of three like tank containers by aligningthe vertical supports. At 6′4″ in height for each tank container,three-high is within the current height limit of 19′, the same heightused for stacking two 9′6″ high-cube dry containers.

In some forms, the chassis further includes a rear, intermediatecrossbeam extending laterally between the parallel beams, and the tankcontainer further includes a rear support disposed on the tank containerto be received in a mating relationship with the structure proximate therear, intermediate crossbeam, each of the front, rear, and rearintermediate crossbeams including structure for preventing lateralshifting of the tank container relative to the chassis.

In some forms, each of the front and rear crossbeams include rampsurfaces for guiding positioning of the tank container when removablylowered onto the chassis.

In some forms, the front and rear crossbeams include structure allowingthe chassis to lock with the tank container, and the rear intermediatecrossbeam is a passive structure engaged and disengaged only by actionof the raising or lowering the tank container relative to the chassis.

In some forms, the chassis further includes a front, intermediatecrossbeam and a pair of landing gear positioned at the intermediatecrossbeam, and the tank container further includes a front supportpositioned to engage the front, intermediate crossbeam, the weight ofthe tank container being supportable at the front, intermediatecrossbeam and landing gear when the chassis is separated from a tractorhitch.

In another aspect, a tank container for storing and transporting liquidis disclosed, the tank container removably disposable with a rail carand with an OTR chassis having front, rear, and at least a firstintermediate crossbeams, each crossbeam having structure for receiving aportion of the tank container therebetween for resisting lateral forcesdue to liquid in the tank container, the tank container including asingle tank vessel having a non-rectangular cross-section for storingand discharging liquid, a front frame secured at least to a front end ofthe vessel, the front frame having at least two vertical supportscapable of supporting another intermodal container, and a second framesecured at least to a rear end of the vessel, the front frame having atleast two vertical supports capable of supporting another intermodalcontainer, wherein the vessel is mounted between the frames, the tankcontainer having a length and a width that position the vertical supportposts at approximately 8 feet apart in a lateral direction andapproximately 40 feet apart in the longitudinal direction in accordancewith ISO intermodal shipping container standards, and the tank containerbeing no greater than approximately 6 feet, 4 inches, in height.

In some forms, the vessel has a length less than 40 feet, has a heightno greater than 6′4″, and has a capacity between approximately 26,000liquid liters and approximately 27,000 liquid liters. As noted, acapacity for some vessels may be in the range of 20,000 liters to 27,000liters.

In another aspect, a chassis for use with an intermodal tank containeris disclosed, the chassis adapted for hitch connection with a tractorand including a rear wheel assembly, a pair of straight, generallyparallel beams defining a generally flat upper surface for removablyreceiving an intermodal container, the flat upper surface providing asupport of and extending at least 40 feet, the flat upper surfaceextending to and between a point at least above the rear wheel assemblyand a point forward of the hitch connection, a front crossbeam extendinglaterally between the parallel beams and located at a forward region ofthe flat upper surface and forward of the hitch connection, a rearcrossbeam extending laterally between the parallel beams and located ata rearward region of the flat upper surface and rearward of the rearwheel assembly, and a rear, intermediate crossbeam extending laterallybetween the parallel beams, wherein each of the crossbeams includingstructure for receiving a portion of the tank container therebetween ina mating relationship to resist lateral forces from shifting of liquidin the tank container.

In some forms, the chassis further includes a front, intermediatecrossbeam and a pair of landing gear positioned at the intermediatecrossbeam for supporting the weight of the tank container when thechassis is separated from a tractor hitch.

In some forms, the chassis further includes an air ride system capableof raising or lowering at least a rear end of the chassis to assist infully discharging from the tank container when received on the chassis.

In another aspect, an arrangement for intermodal liquid tank containerusage is disclosed including a chassis having a rear end, a rear wheelassembly disposed proximate and forward of the rear end, a front end, ahitch connection disposed proximate and rearward from the front end, thehitch connection for connection with a tractor, landing gear forsupporting the chassis and tank container thereon when the chassis isnot supported by a tractor, a front crossbeam including structure formating with the tank container, the front crossbeam located forward ofthe hitch connection and at the front end, a rear crossbeam includingstructure for mating with the tank container, the rear crossbeam locatedproximate the rear end, and a pair of straight beams extending betweenthe front end and rear end and secured with the front and rearcrossbeams, and including a tank container at least 40 feet in length, 8feet or 8 feet, 6 inches, in width, and no greater than approximately 6feet, 4 inches, in height, the tank container removably supportable bythe front and rear crossbeams of the chassis, the tank container havinga non-rectangular vessel extending generally the entire length of thetank container and capable of storing liquid therein, and frame portionsat front and rear ends of the tank container securable with the frontand rear crossbeams respectively, wherein the vessel and straight beamshave a sufficient strength for resisting lateral forces exerted on thearrangement by liquid movement within the vessel.

In some forms, the chassis includes an air ride system for raising andlowering the rear end of the chassis.

In some forms, the front and rear crossbeams include a pair of verticalportions, a portion of each respective frame is received between thevertical portions, and the vertical portions are received within notchesof the frame.

In some forms, the chassis further includes at least one intermediatecrossbeam located proximate the landing gear, and the tank containerincludes at least one intermediately positioned support received by thechassis at the intermediate crossbeam when the tank container ispositioned on the chassis, and the intermediately positioned support islaterally constrained by structure at the intermediate crossbeam whenthe tank container is positioned on the chassis.

In some forms, the chassis has a height comparable with a non-intermodalOTR tank trailer, the chassis includes a fifth wheel hitch connection,the chassis includes an air ride suspension system operable to positiona rear of the chassis from approximately 54″ during driving operationand storage and to position the rear of the chassis at approximately 50″during discharge of the tank container vessel, and the chassis includesa rear, intermediate crossbeam, wherein the front and rear crossbeamseach have ramped surfaces for guiding the front and rear frames of thetank container into proper position.

In some forms, the frame portions include front and rear frames eachincluding a crossbar for mating with the respective front and rearcrossbeams of the chassis, the tank container including a storagecapacity of approximately 20,000 to 27,000 liters, and including acladding system including polymeric spacers between the vessel and thecladding, the polymeric spacers being resiliently deformable.

In another aspect, a method for transporting liquid is disclosedincluding the steps of providing a non-rectangular vessel for receivingand discharging of the liquid, adapting a frame system on the vesselincluding providing vertical support posts at ISO standard positions ofapproximately 8 feet by 40 feet, selectively disposing the vessel andframe system on and removing the same from transportation equipment.

In some forms, the step of selectively disposing includes at least oneof the following: removably securing the vessel and frame system with arail car, with another vessel and frame, or with an over the roadtractor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the Figures, FIG. 1 is a PRIOR ART side elevation of an intermodaltank transportation system including a tractor, a prior art gooseneck,drop-deck chassis, and a prior art tank container;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a tank container of the presentinvention and a chassis of the present invention for supporting the tankconnector, the chassis being connected by a hitch connection with atractor;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tank container showing supportframes on each end thereof and a section of cladding removed from thetank container to expose a cladding support and an internal tank;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of a vessel of the tankcontainer showing head caps for closing ends of the vessel;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vessel generally corresponding toFIG. 4 and showing a discharge assembly disposed at a rearward end ofthe vessel;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the vessel of FIG. 4 further showing acentrally located manway assembly and a pair of cleaning portspositioned longitudinally from the manway assembly;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the vessel of FIG. 6 showingforward and rearward mounting brackets for securing respective forwardand rearward frames;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the vessel of FIG. 6 showing the forwardand rearward mounting brackets in pairs and showing a plurality of steamruns extending longitudinally along the length of the vessel andterminating at the vessel rearward end steam inlets and outlets;

FIG. 9 is a top plan fragmentary view of the detail 9-9 of FIG. 6showing a manway assembly with a pair of pressure release valves locatedproximate thereto, a top discharge port, and an air valve;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view taken through the line 10-10 of FIG. 6showing the position and arrangement of the pressure release valves ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the detail 11-11 of FIG. 6 showing acleaning port;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the rearward end of the vesselshowing the steam inlet and outlet, and showing a discharge valve;

FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of the vessel with the frames secured withthe forward and rearward mounting brackets and intermediate passiverestraints in the form of tank supports;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are inner and outer perspective views, respectively, ofthe rear frame of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is an inner perspective view of the front frame of FIG. 13;

FIGS. 17-19 are perspective fragmentary views of the vessel and the rearframe secured thereto;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a front and a rear support securablewith the vessel for mating with the chassis;

FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of the rear support of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a front elevation view of the front support of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a ladder assembly securable with thevessel;

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the cladding system for thetank container including support rings and spacers for securing claddingsections with the vessel;

FIGS. 25 and 26 are side elevation views of a portion of a spacer havinga series of offset portions for absorbing impact against the cladding;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the tank container and chassis in ageneral relative orientation in which the tank container may be loweredonto the chassis for transport thereby;

FIG. 28 is a top plan view of the chassis of FIG. 27 showing a pair ofparallel beams for supporting the tank container and displaying certainlateral forces acting upon the chassis, the tank container, and a groundsurface when in use;

FIG. 29 is a perspective detail view of a rear support portion of thechassis showing rear posts receivable by the tank container;

FIG. 30 is a perspective detail of the chassis with the tank containersecured therewith, the chassis having a rear, intermediate interfaceconnection engaged with the rear support of the tank container;

FIG. 31 is a perspective detail view corresponding to FIG. 30 showingthe intermediate interface connection without the rear support engagedtherewith;

FIG. 32 is a perspective detail of the chassis having a front,intermediate interface connection;

FIG. 33 is a perspective detail view corresponding to FIG. 32 showingthe tank container front support engaged with the front, intermediateinterface connection;

FIG. 34 is a perspective detail view of a front support portion of thechassis showing front posts receivable by the tank container;

FIG. 35 is a perspective detail view of the front support portion of thechassis showing the tank container engaged with the front posts of FIG.34;

FIG. 36 is a representative perspective view of three tank containers ofa form of the present invention in a stacked relationship; and

FIG. 37 is a representative side elevation view of three tank containersof a form of the present invention in a stacked relationship in a wellof a well rail car.

FIG. 38 illustrates an embodiment of the intermodal tank container andchassis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As will be discussed in greater detail below, the present inventionpresents a novel approach to intermodal tank container design. In forms,the present invention includes, inter alia, a tank for storing andtransporting and delivering liquid (hazardous or non-hazardous), a tankcontainer incorporating the tank, and a chassis for over-land orover-the-road (“OTR”) transport of the tank container. The tank capacityis equal to or greater than the capacity of a standard prior artintermodal tank container. At least the height of the tank container isreduced with respect to prior art intermodal tank containers. The lengthof tank container is approximately 40 feet or more allowing the tankcontainer to be stacked in any fashion that a dry goods container may beand distributing the weight of the loaded tank container over thegreater length. The reduction in height and increased length maintainthe overall weight of the tank container, when loaded, within ISOstandards. The weight distribution and height of the tank containercombine with a novel chassis, enabling the chassis to be lighter than astandard gooseneck, drop-deck chassis. The ability of the tank containerto be used intermodally allows standard drayage tractors to be used fortransporting the combined tank container and chassis over land, allowinga larger payload.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a prior art arrangement for intermodaltransport of liquid is illustrated. A tank container C is shown having aframe F and a tank T mounted therein. The tank container C is 8 feetwide by 8 feet, 6 inches high, with an overall length of 20 feet. Theempty tank container C weighs approximately 8,000 pounds andaccommodates a maximum volume of 26,000 liters.

The tank container C is supported at its ends E on a gooseneck,drop-deck-style chassis G. As can be seen, the chassis G includeslongitudinally extending beams B. The beams B have a rearward portionsupported by rear wheel assembly RW and angle slightly downwardly in theforward direction therefrom through a support region SR on which thetank container C rests. The support region SR includes designatedsupport points typically in the form of twistlocks L for simply andquickly aligning the tank container C during descent to the supportregion S and locking therewith.

Generally speaking, the beams B must be of a sufficient strength tosupport the concentrated weight of the loaded tank container C in thesupport region SR. In comparison to a dry goods chassis (not shown), thebeams B are much larger and, consequently, heavier and more expensive.The chassis G takes the name “gooseneck, drop-deck” from its shape,specifically, the bend and upward shift U to the beams B leading to aforward region FR. This bend U forms an offset for the forward region F,and the beams B again require greater strength (and material and weight)to accommodate this bend U. A pair of landing gear in the form of postsP may be raised when connected to a tractor TR, though they areillustrated in a lowered position as would be used when the chassis G isdisconnected from the tractor TR.

The overall geometry of the beams B is generally dictated by the weightof the load, and the various support points (ends E, posts P, rear wheelassembly RW), and the position of a hitch connection H. The hitchconnection H is typically a fifth wheel connection supported over awheel assembly WA of the tractor TR. In all, the bend U is required bythe need to maintain the center of mass/gravity of the tank container Cand the chassis G low enough to minimize outward rolling forces. Thebeams B require a large amount of strength due to the vertical loadbearing requirements and geometry; additionally, the beams B must resistlateral forces (such as occur during turning of the tractor TR/chassisG) from the liquid in the tank container C shifting.

Due to these features, the prior art intermodal tank assembly isexpensive in operation and in individual components. The weight of thechassis G is high due to the strength requirements for the beams B,totaling 7,690 pounds. As discussed, the gross vehicle weight isgenerally 80,000 pounds and the weight of the chassis G, including aspread axle rear tandem suspension (not shown), reduces the amount ofpayload that can be transported. For OTR trailers, one needs to use thelarger, heavier OTR tractor/sleeper as the OTR distances are muchgreater, intermodal loads generally being short local routes. It shouldbe noted that the Union Pacific rail company offers a service calledBulkTainer in which Union Pacific arrives at a customer's site with tankcontainers, gooseneck, drop-deck chassis, and tractors, picking up thebulk materials to be transported, moving the loaded tank container to atrain, transporting the tank container via rail to a destinationlocation, and then delivering the tank container with a second chassisand tractor. In 20+ years, the BulkTainer service, has failed to achievesignificant use due to the restrictive equipment from a weightstandpoint, the lack of acceptance by users such as shippers andconsignees and trucking community due to appearance and operation, andlimits on payload.

FIG. 2 illustrates a general illustration of a form of intermodal tankcontainer transportation in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention. An intermodal tank container 10 is illustrated as beingsecured on an intermodal OTR chassis 12, the chassis 12 being secured ata hitch connection 14 with a tractor 16.

The tank container 10 includes a frame 20 at each end 22, the frame 20including vertical support posts 24 positioned longitudinally at 40 feetand 8 feet wide, so as to conform with ISO dimensions for both dry goodsand liquid tank containers. Accordingly, the tank container 10 hasgenerally the same footprint as stackable dry goods containers and canbe combined with stackable dry goods containers and with rail well carswithout regard to the type of the other containers.

However, the tank container 10 and its frame 20 are significantlyreduced in height, to approximately 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Because thetank container 10 is 40 feet long, it does not need to be combined witha second container to form a full stack layer, as the prior artintermodal or other 20-foot container would require.

The chassis 12 is significantly reduced in weight in comparison to theprior art intermodal gooseneck, drop-deck chassis G. The chassis 12weighs approximately 5,750 pounds, over 2000 pounds less than thegooseneck, drop-deck chassis G. This weight reduction is a significantmaterials cost savings. Considering the combined weight of the tankcontainer 10 (loaded), the chassis 12, and the tractor 16 isapproximately as being roughly the same 80,000 pounds as the prior artassembly of FIG. 1, the reduction in 2000 pounds due to the differentchassis affords 2000 more pounds available for payload, while stillremaining within the applicable legal restrictions. Additionally, thelighter drayage tractor can be used, as intermodal is local only (i.e.,not OTR, through mountain passes, etc.).

Each of these features will be discussed in greater detail, beginningwith the tank container 10 illustrated in FIG. 3. The components of thetank container 10 are the frames 20 positioned at each end 22, aninternal tank or vessel 30, cladding 32, cladding supports 34, a ladder36, a walkway 38, and a manway 40, as well as several additionalcomponents and fittings. FIG. 3 illustrates the tank container 10 with aportion 32 a of the cladding 32 removed to expose the cladding supports34 and the vessel 30. Intermediate the cladding 32 and the vessel 30 isinsulation 42 as is known in the art and which may be, for instance,rockwool and may be multi-layered.

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict features of the vessel 30. The majority of the bodyof the vessel 30 is a tubular barrel 50 constructed in accordance withknown techniques and materials in the field of the art. The barrel 50 isgenerally non-rectangular, preferably ovoid or cylindrical incross-section, and by definition capable of storing liquid. Each end ofthe barrel 50 is closed by an end cap 52 welded to the barrel 50.Outboard from the end caps 52 are annular flange extensions 54 formounting a face plate 56. Along the length of the barrel 50 a series ofchannel fittings 58 are mounted for securing the cladding 32 andincluding vacuum rings 58 a. The barrel 50 has an approximate length of40′, including the end caps, an inner diameter of approximately 6′7.5″(1714 mm), a wall thickness of 4.4 mm, and an end cap thickness (head)of 4.8 mm to 5.0 mm. The vessel 30 has a total volume of approximately27,000 liters, which is approximately 1000 liters more capacity than theprior art intermodal tank of FIG. 1.

Comparing FIGS. 5 and 6, the barrel 50 has a number of openings 60providing access to the interior of the barrel 50 for various fittingsand accessories. Two of the openings 60 allow for rearward and forwardcleaning ports 64, also illustrated in FIG. 11 with a box 66 therearoundfor protecting the ports 64. One of the openings 60 is sized for themanway 40 so that a human can enter and exit the interior of the vessel30, such as might be done for repair, specialized cleaning, orinspection. Proximate the manway 40 is a pair of pressure release valves70, a secondary or spare top discharge port 72, and an air valve 74. Acentral box 76 surrounds the manway 40 and the nearby fittings.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate additional structures for mounting the frames20 with the vessel 30. A rear bracket 80 and a forward bracket 82 areshown in FIG. 7 and are shown with respective paired brackets 80, 82 inFIG. 8. These brackets 80, 82 are generally arcuate so as to follow andsecure with the exterior contour of the barrel 50. Brackets 80, 82receive legs 120 from the front and rear frames 20 a, 20 b, as shown ingreater detail in FIG. 13.

FIGS. 7 and 8 also illustrate the rear brackets 80 including structure90 for mating with a rear support 94, and illustrate a support bracket92 for mating with a front support 96, the rear support 94 and frontsupport 96 detailed in FIGS. 20-22. The supports 94, 96 provide severalfunctions. Referring back to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the frontsupport 96 is positioned over the landing gear 98 so that whendisconnected from the tractor 16 the weight of the vessel 50 and thetank container 10 is transmitted directly to the landing gear 98. Therear support 94 is positioned so that it is a short distance in front ofthe rear wheel assembly 99 of the chassis 12. As will be discussed ingreater detail below, the supports 94, 96 are passively connected withthe chassis 12 so as to resist lateral (horizontal plane) bending forceson the tank container 10.

A principle discharge port 100 is provided at the rearward of the tankcontainer ends 22. As points of reference, the discharge port 100 can beseen illustrated in FIGS. 3, 8, and 12. The discharge port 100 ispositioned proximate a short deck 102 (FIG. 2) when the tank container10 is disposed on the chassis 12, which is akin to a standardnon-intermodal trailer so that a user can operate the discharge port 100from the rear of the tank container 10 and chassis 12. In contrast, adischarge (not shown) on the intermodal tank container C is locatedapproximately and 13 to 15 feet from the rear end of the chassis G.

Adjacent the discharge port 100 are a steam inlet 108 and a steam outlet110, as seen in FIGS. 12, 13, and 19. The steam inlet 108 and steamoutlet 110 are connected to a steam line 112 best seen in FIG. 8. Steamcan be input at the steam inlet 108 and makes essentially fourlongitudinal trips along the length of the barrel 50 before reaching thesteam outlet 110: a first trip from rear to front, a first return, asecond rear to front trip, and a final return to the outlet 110. In FIG.13, the steam line 112 is shown as being channel tubing 114 weldeddirectly to the barrel 50.

The frames 20 are shown connected with the vessel 30 in FIG. 13 andshown separately as rear frame 20 a in FIGS. 14 & 15 and as front frame20 b in FIG. 16. As can be seen, each frame 20 includes a pair of legs120 extending inwardly relative to the longitudinal direction of thevessel 30 and extending inboard towards the center of the vessel (i.e.,towards the midpoint along the length of the vessel). The legs 120secure with the brackets 80 and 82. A rectangle 124 of square tubingsections 126 is positioned at and around the end caps 52, angle brackets128 spanning the corners of the rectangle 124 for strength and forsecuring with the face plates 56 (FIG. 4). The rectangle 124 includesthe pair of vertical posts 24 having sufficient strength to supportmultiple tank containers 10 being stacked thereupon, as is generallyknown for stacking intermodal containers. As can be seen by comparingFIGS. 15 and 16, the rear frame 20 a has a notch formed 132 in a lowercrossbar 134 that provides clearance for the discharge valve 100 andsteam inlet 108 and steam outlet 110, noted above and best seen in FIG.12, while a lower crossbar 136 of the front frame 136 does not. Each ofthe frames 20 includes a plate 140 having rearwardly extending elbowplates 142. When the frame 20 is secured with the vessel 30 of FIG. 5,the plate 140 abuts the face plate 56 and the elbow plates 142 arewelded or otherwise secured to the exterior of the barrel 50, asillustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18. The legs 120 are connected by a brace150 with the lower crossbars 134, 136. A document holder 152 is mountedon the rear lower crossbar 134.

The front and rear supports 94, 96 assist in aligning the cladding 32.That is, each support 94, 96 extends through the cladding 32 and, thus,a shoulder 159 is provided on each support 94, 96 that assists in andconfirms proper alignment of the cladding 32, the supports 94, 96, andthe barrel 50. The front and rear supports 94, 96 also have studs 160thereon for mating with the chassis 12, as will be discussed in greaterdetail below. It should be noted that the illustrated front and rearsupports 94, 96 are not identical. Each is designed in the present formfor the particular forces and use at the point on the vessel 30 withwhich the supports 94, 96 are installed. However, it is also recognizedthat one may be smaller, depending on weight necessity, resulting in amaterials savings, or one may elect to provide identical supports 94, 96in order to reduce the number of unique components required forassembly. Each of the supports 94, 96 is arcuate along top edges 166 formating with and following the curve of the exterior of the barrel 50.

FIG. 23 illustrates the ladder 36. The ladder 36 is positioned along aside of the tank container 10, as opposed to a rear end as is generallyknown for prior art intermodal tank containers. The prior artarrangements are partly the result of the tank frame having upper andlower horizontal frame members extending along the longitudinaldirection so that the frame defines a rectangular box, the horizontalframe members forming the corners of the box; a ladder on a side wouldthus have to find a way to allow a person to climb over or under thesehorizontal frame members. Additionally, the prior art requires a workerto climb onto the chassis G at the rear end and walk across the chassisG to attach a discharge hose to the rear end of the prior art tank T,which is dangerous in inclement or icy weather or when the chassis G hasother material (such as oil) on its surface. If the worker is to climbthe ladder in order to climb atop the tank container T, that worker mustwalk approximately ½ the length of the tank container T (10′) in orderto reach a manway or hatch (not shown).

The general construction of the ladder 36 is to allow the ladder 36 tocurve along the profile of the tank container 10 and, preferably, alongthe curve of the barrel 50. The ladder 36 includes side plates 170 withrungs or step plates 172 extending therebetween. The position of theladder 36 allows quicker, safer, and easier access for personnel to thewalkway 38 on the top of the tank container 10, as well as to the manway40 and cleaning ports 64, etc. As the frames 20 a, 20 b secure directlywith the vessel 30, without frame members running the length of the tankcontainer 10 as is known for the prior art, the ladder 36 is free to bepositioned on the side, and materials for the frame 20 a, 20 b arereduced in comparison to the prior art. A retractable ladder 36 a isprovided on the chassis 12 and, specifically in the present form, has ahinged connection 300 connected to first and section ladder beams 302extending between chassis beams 202 (see FIGS. 2 and 27). Thisarrangement for the ladders 36, 36 a, is much safer as a worker need nottraverse a deck of the chassis 12, and always has a handhold availablewhen attempting to reach the manway 40.

The cladding 32 is illustrated in FIG. 24 along with cladding supports34 and spacers 180. Vacuum rings 58 a are provided, as is known in theart, to assist in preventing tank collapse during discharge. Thecladding supports 34 secure over and around the vacuum rings 58 a (seeFIG. 3). The spacers 180 are placed on the outside of the claddingsupports 34 so that the spacers 180 actually span between and connectthe cladding 32 with the cladding supports 34. The spacers 180, bestseen in FIGS. 25 and 26, are strips of a relatively rigid plasticmaterial that has a series of “egg cup” recesses or offset portions 180a. The spacers 180 are curved during installation with the claddingsupports 34 to have the same curved profile while retaining the offsetportions 180 a in such an arrangement. In the event the cladding 32 isstruck, the spacers 180 absorb the shock. However, the offsetarrangement and selection of resiliently deformable materials for thesespacers 180 allow for some bounce back to their original shape. Thus,the resilience of the spacers 180 results in less damages to thecladding 32 and less maintenance thereof. The spacers 180 are also usedin generally straight strips 180 b along the top and bottom of thebarrel 50, as is illustrated in FIG. 24. It should also be noted thatthe polymeric material of the spacers is less of a heat sink thantraditional aluminum spacers which have a very high thermalconductivity.

The tank container 10 is generally raised or lowered vertically withrespect to the chassis 12 as represented by FIG. 27. The longitudinaldirection of the tank container 10 is aligned with a longitudinaldirection of the chassis 12 so that the ends 22 of the tank container 10positioned with ends 200 of the chassis 12, as will be discussed indetail below.

The chassis 12 includes a pair of parallel beams 202 generally in theshape of an I-beam. The beams 202 terminate at front and rear crossbeams204, 206, respectively. The frames 20 of the tank container 10 arealigned with and rest upon the crossbeams 204, 206 such that the weightof the tank container is supported by the crossbeams 204, 206. The frontcrossbeam 204 is positioned a short distance forward of a hitch pin 208of the hitch connection 14, which allows for a relatively small momentarm for the weight relative to the hitch connection 14. The chassis 12further includes a front, intermediate crossbeam 210 and a rear,intermediate crossbeam 212, and an engagement interface 214 for passivemating with the tank container 10 is provided at each.

The rear crossbeam 206 is shown in FIG. 29 has having a generallyhorizontal support surface 220 spanning laterally between upstandingguide/lock posts 222. When the tank container 10 is lowered onto thechassis 12, ramps 224 on the guide/lock posts 222 serve to properlyalign the rear frame 20 a of the tank container 10 onto the chassis 12and onto the rear crossbeam 206. The guide/lock posts 222 are sized sothat there is a relatively close fit within notches 133 (FIG. 14) in thelower crossbar 134 of the rear frame 20 a, thus providing a relativelyspecific position for the tank container 10 on the chassis 12. Laterallyoutboard from the guide/lock posts 222 are lock plates 226 for receivingtwistlocks (not shown) as are conventionally known in the field of theart.

The engagement between the engagement interface 214 of the rear,intermediate crossbeam 212 and the rear support 94 is shown in FIGS. 30and 31. The engagement interface 214 includes a flat 230 spanninglaterally across the crossbeam 212 and includes a pair of U-shapedplates 232 secured laterally outwardly from the beams 202, with the flat230 therebetween. The U-shaped plates 232 have first and second legportions 234 secured with its respective beam 202, each extending abovethe beam 202 and joined by a crossplate 236. A notch 238 is formed ineach of the leg portions 234 proximate the top of the beam 202 and theflat 230, with the leg portion 234 positioned outwardly from the notch238 and extending with the notch to the crossplate 236. The rear support94 includes a pair of horizontal flats 240, 242, the first flat 240being formed on the stud 160 (FIG. 21) and the second flat 242 beingformed above the first flat 240 so that a shoulder 244 is formedtherebetween. When the tank container 10 is lowered onto the chassis 12,the rear support first flat 240 rests on the flat 230 of the crossbeam212, the rear support second flat 242 rests on the crossplate 236, andthe rear support shoulder 244 abuts the notch 238 in the leg portions234. In the presently illustrated form, a riser 248 is disposed betweenthe crossbeam flat 230 and the rear support first flat 240. It should benoted that the shoulder 244 and the notch 238 are relatively closelymated, preferably squared to each other.

An arrangement similar to, though simplified from, that of the rear,intermediate crossbeam 212 and the rear support 94 is provided for thefront, intermediate crossbeam 212 and the front support 96 (see FIGS. 32and 33, and also FIG. 22). The front, intermediate crossbeam 212includes a flat 250 extending laterally and, in fact, includes a pair offlats 250 a, 250 b formed on respective crossbeam members 212 a, 212 b.Between the junctions between the crossbeam members 212 a, 212 b and thebeams 202 are risers 252 upon which the studs 160 of the front support96 (FIG. 22) rest when the tank container 10 is positioned on thechassis 12. In contrast to the rear, intermediate crossbeam 212, thereis no notch/shoulder engagement between the front support 96 and thechassis 12. The crossbeam members 212 a, 212 b extend outwardly belowthe beams 202 and form securement points for the landing gear 98. Assuch, the weight of the tank container 10 may be more directlytransferred through and supported by the landing gear 98 when thechassis 12 and tank container 10 thereon are disconnected from the hitchconnection 14 and the tractor 16.

Turning now to FIGS. 34 and 35, the front crossbeam 204 cooperates withthe front frame 20 b of the tank container 10 in a manner similar tothat described above for the rear crossbeam 206 and the rear frame 20 a.The front crossbeam 204 includes a flat 260 extending across thecrossbeam 204 and has guide/lock posts 262 similar if not identical tothe guide/lock posts 222 of the rear crossbeam 206 positioned proximateoutboard ends of the crossbeam 204. The guide/lock posts 262 arereceived within notches 133 (FIG. 16) of the lower crossbar 136 thevertical posts 24 of the front frame 20 b when the tank container 10 islowered onto the chassis 12. Lock plates 266 are provided on the ends ofthe crossbeam 204 for use with twistlocks (not shown) or the like formanually securing the frame 20 b with the chassis 12. In addition, apair of positioning guides 270 are disposed on the front crossbeam 204.The positioning guides 270 include a front elbow plate 272 secured suchas by welding in an I-beam fashion with a front surface 274 of thecrossbeam 204, which is generally a square tubing section. The elbowplate 272 rises above the crossbeam 204 and has a portion 272 a angledforwardly away from the crossbeam 204, and a guide plate 276 is securedto the angled portion 272 a to form a chamfer or ramp 278 against whichthe lower crossbar 136 of the front frame 20 b may ride so as to guidethe front frame 20 b and the tank container 10 into proper position withthe chassis 12, the front frame 20 b and lower crossbar 136 beingreceived in a receptacle 280 defined by each of the positioning guides270. Square tubing angle braces 282 extend from the crossbeam 204 to thebeams 202 providing additional rigidity.

It should be noted that the notches 133 of the frames 20 a, 20 b mayhave a different shape from the illustrated somewhat rectangular shape,such as by being shaped as a triangle. However, it is believed that thenotches 133 as depicted will result in less damage from use.

It should be noted that the engagement interfaces 214 between theintermediate crossbeams 204, 206 are passive. In a typical railyard ortruck depot or other place where containers are set or lifted fromchassis, workers are not used to seeing locks at places other than thecorners. Therefore, it is considered a feature that workers do not needto be trained in any special manner for using the tank containers 10 andchassis 12 of the present invention, and that no significant additionaleffort or labor is required.

As discussed briefly above, the chassis 12 has a reduced overall weightand construction in comparison to a standard prior art intermodal tankchassis, such as the gooseneck, drop-deck chassis G of FIG. 1. Thisreduction is made possible by features of both the chassis 12 and thetank container 10. Because the tank container 10 is longer, the weightthereof is distributed over a greater span; more importantly, though, isthe fact that the support points (principally the front and rearcrossbeams 204, 206) of the chassis 12 are over the rear wheels 205(FIGS. 2 and 27) and over the hitch connection (FIG. 2) so that bendingmoments are reduced. This means that the beams 202 need not be asstrong. The bend U of the gooseneck, drop-deck chassis G is alsoeliminated. Perhaps the most salient features for reduction of chassis12 construction, however, are the manner in which horizontal, orlateral, bending torques are addressed and the elimination of the needfor the spread axle rear tandem suspension, noted above.

In all tank container applications, the liquid shifts during movement.When a vehicle is making a turn on a road, the liquid will tend to movetoward the opposite direction as the turn. This produces a large forcethrough the center of the tank, causing a prior art tank to bendoutwardly and making the prior art tank susceptible to damage and torolling, as well as putting tremendous stress on the chassis. It is thisstress that is also one of the principal reasons for the design of priorart intermodal tank chassis.

In the present chassis 12 and tank container 10 arrangement, the tankcontainer 10 and the chassis 12 cooperate to absorb this stress. Thatis, the front and rear crossbeams 204, 206 lock with the front and rearframes 20 a, 20 b respectively, and the tank container rear support 94locks between (but not with) the rear, intermediate crossbeam 212. Moreappropriately, the rear support 94 abuts the notches 238 at the rear,intermediate crossbeam 212. In this manner, the lateral stresses on thetank container 10 are largely absorbed by the design of the tankcontainer 10 itself, principally the barrel 50. Because of thepositioning of the connections between the tank container 10 and chassis12, no significant moment arms or torques are generated by the thesestresses in the tank container 10 when they are transmitted to thechassis 10.

Turning now to FIGS. 36 and 37, a stack arrangement for the tankcontainers can be seen. For standard dry goods containers, a typical orcommon height is 8′6″ or 9′6″ so that two dry goods containers arestacked to 19′. However, ISO standards permit up to 19′, and somecontainers approved for stacking are 9′6″, two of such containersequaling the 19′ ISO limit. The tank container 10 is preferably 6′ 4″ inheight, at the frames 20 a, 20 b, which allows the tank container 10 tobe stacked three high within the 19′ ISO limit, each tank container 10still carrying a greater load (27,000 liters) than a standard intermodaltank container (26,000 liters). It should be noted that forms of thepresent invention contemplate identical or substantially identicalframes 20 a, 20 b being employed a vessel 30 that is reduced in diameterfrom that described above so that lower capacities may be used: as loadsare generally expected to be 80% of capacity in order to set a maximumallowable sloshing of the payload materials, it may be desirable toreduce the vessel diameter so that a payload of approximately 20,000liters is provided with the same overall dimensions for the tankcontainer 10 as generally described herein. It should also be noted thatweight for rail cars is not nearly as significant an issue as it is forOTR tractors 16. In such a stacking arrangement, the respective frames20 a, 20 b of adjacent tank containers 10 are locked at the verticalposts 24, such as by twistlocks. FIG. 36 shows a storage stacking, whileFIG. 37 shows a stacking capability within a rail well car 300. Forstatic storage, 3 high is suitable; if empty, the tank containers 10 maybe stacked as high as 9. For all stacking applications, the tankcontainers 10 are known to be suitable for at least 2 high. In anyevent, the present tank container 10 of 6′4″ combined with the chassis12 and a tractor 16 generally places the top of the tank container 10 atapproximately 10′4″, from ground to top. The prior art intermodal tankcontainers T and chassis G are generally 8′6″ from the chassis deck, fora total of 12′2″. Due to this height, prior art intermodal tankcontainers T are unable to access many of the older loading racks (toploading) designed for OTR tank trailers (approximately the same heightas the tank 10 and chassis 12 of the present invention).

The prior art intermodal tank chassis such as the gooseneck, drop-deckchassis G positions the tank in an angled or tilted forward positionduring travel. For discharge, the front end is raised with a separatepneumatic system, tilting the tank so that the liquid can be dischargedat a rear end of the tank. As can be seen in FIG. 1, there is asignificant distance from the rear end of the tank and the rear end ofthe chassis G, which generally is in the order of 13-15 feet.

Noted above, the need for a spread axle rear tandem suspension iseliminated. For the arrangement of forms of the present invention, thechassis 12 is provided with an air ride system as is known for trailersand chassis generally. During operation, the rear end 12 a of thechassis 12 is approximately 54″ from the ground level, and has a shortdeck 102 thereat, as a typical non-intermodal tank trailer would have.In the form illustrated, the chassis 12 is 41′6″, with the rear shortdeck 102 being approximately 1′2″, which is comparable to what a driverwould expect for a non-intermodal OTR tank trailer. When discharge isdesired, the air ride system is used to lower the rear end 12 a toapproximately 50″, making discharge much faster and reducing thedifficult of discharging the heel of the tank completely. Thearrangement is also that which is familiar and comfortable to theshipping and trucking community, outside of the intermodal tank arena,and eliminates the need for 13-15 feet of hosing to be strung up thechassis G of the prior art arrangement, allowing workers to operatewhile remaining on the ground, again this arrangement being morecomfortable and known to the workers and, thus, being more accepted bythe community.

A benefit of the tank container 10 and chassis 12 arrangement is the usewithin the trucking and shipping community, certain points discussedabove. There is resistance by truckers at driving more difficult loads,and a premium is exacted for moving intermodal tank containers and fordriving heavier trucks. The tank container 10 and chassis 12 present nomore difficult a load than a standard tank trailer (i.e.,non-intermodal) or other trailer to a trucker. In fact, the appearanceto a trucker, shipper, and consignee will be relatively transparent,both to the eye and in practice with the increased safety as the tankmeets the higher ISO standards for intermodal tank containers. Thereduced height of the tank container 10 to 6′4″ places the center ofgravity at a level comparable to that of a non-intermodal tank trailerso that the rolling risk is the same, and the combination of the tankcontainer 10 and chassis 12 are generally a comparable height as thenon-intermodal tank trailer, as discussed above. The combination of thetank container 10 and chassis 12 are also suitable for all US loadingracks. These features are important for acceptance by the trucking andshipping community.

Because of the expense and difficulty and other deficiencies discussedherein for prior art intermodal tank containers, the use of such is notnearly as widespread as intermodal is for dry goods containers. Much ofliquid transport is done by non-intermodal trailers being driven bytruckers. While intermodal transport can use rail cars to deliver acontainer in 3 days from Los Angeles, Calif., to Chicago, Ill., anon-intermodal trailer can take 5-7 days. Moreover, drivers must becompensated for this time, and a premium is paid for drivers who areunable to return home every night, not to mention the fact that trainscan run all night where drivers are limited in driving hours. In fact,the inability to be home each night is an issue that generally is alwayspresent in recruiting drivers. It is expected that a shipping companyfleet would require approximately 1 tractor 16 for 3 every tankcontainers 10, and approximately 1 chassis 12 for every 2-3 tankcontainers 10, thus resulting in a huge capital expenditures savings incomparison to OTR tractors and tank trailers which require a muchgreater ratio of tractors to tank trailers, resulting in a much greateramount of capital committed to a fleet. Finally, intermodal shipment isvastly cheaper, with less fuel per ton of goods transported required forrail and, thus, less pollution and greater efficiency.

FIG. 38 illustrates an embodiment of the intermodal tank container andchassis according to the present application. The traditionalconfiguration of the interface between a “non tunnel” container and achassis is to engage and support the container at the four cornercastings located as per ISO standards. These castings are located at theextreme ends of the container. However, because the suspension islocated some distance ahead of the rear support points, the traditionalchassis beam has to be built strong and stiff enough to resist theresulting bending moment.

The standard design also requires that the chassis be strong enough tomake the undercarriage turn when corners are encountered. Sharp turnscan result in large lateral forces that must be resisted by the chassisin the standard design.

The embodiment of FIG. 38 makes use of the inherent strength andrigidity of the tank container to resist the two forces described aboverather than require the chassis to do so. The embodiment of FIG. 38therefore allows the chassis to be much lighter, allowing increasedpayload without exceeding weight restrictions.

As shown, the chassis and tank combination 500 includes a chassis 505and tank container 510. The chassis 505 includes landing gear 515 thatallows the chassis 505 to rest when not in transport. The chassis 505also includes two supports 520, 525 positioned inward from the extremeends of the chassis 505. The first support 520 is built into the chassisabove the landing gear 515 to allow the weight of the container 510 torest on the chassis 505 frame when the chassis 505 is unhooked. Thesecond support 525 is built into the chassis 505 just ahead of the frontaxle area, and can engage the bottom of the container 510. The secondsupport 525 can be built so as to support approximately ½ of the weightto be carried by the chassis 505, and is better able to withstand thelateral forces generated by the chassis 505 during a sharp turn.

The chassis 505 can include a chassis ladder 530 and the container 510can include a container ladder 535. The respective ladders 530, 535 canbe positioned such that, when the container 510 is positioned on top ofthe chassis 505, the ladders 530, 535 are aligned with one anotherallowing a user to climb to the top of the container 510.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An intermodal transport combination comprising: acontainer having first and second container ends and including: a tank;and a frame supporting the tank; a chassis having first and secondchassis ends and including: a base; wheels coupled to the base; landinggear positioned forward of the wheels and adapted to support thechassis, the landing gear being disposed longitudinally inward from thefirst and second chassis ends; a first chassis support disposedproximate the landing gear and adapted to contact the container at aposition longitudinally inward from the first and second chassis ends;and a second chassis support adapted to contact the container at aposition rearward of the first support and at a position longitudinallyinward from the first and second chassis ends, wherein the frame has awidth and a height less than the width.
 2. The intermodal transportcombination of claim 1, wherein the width of the frame is approximately8 feet.
 3. The intermodal transport combination of claim 1, wherein thechassis includes a chassis ladder and the container includes a containerladder and wherein the chassis ladder and the container ladder aresubstantially aligned when the container is positioned on the chassis.4. The intermodal transport combination of claim 1, wherein thecontainer further comprises: first and second end frames respectivelylocated at the first and second container ends and extending at leastlongitudinally along the container, and first and second tank supportsextending along at least a radial portion of the tank, the first tanksupport being spaced from the first end frame at a distance differentfrom a distance at which the second tank support is spaced from thesecond end frame.
 5. The intermodal tank system of claim 1, wherein thecontainer further comprises first and second container engagementsurfaces; and wherein the chassis further comprises first and secondchassis engagement surfaces that are adapted to cooperatively engagewith the first and second container engagement surfaces to achieve apassive interface between the chassis engagement surfaces and thecontainer engagement surfaces.
 6. The intermodal tank system of claim 1,wherein the container further comprises a manway positioned intermediatethe first and second container ends, and a plurality of cleaning portslocated on opposite ends of the manway.
 7. A method of intermodaltransport for storing and transporting gas or liquid contents,comprising: configuring a tank container having first and secondcontainer engagement surfaces, said step of configuring said tankcontainer including; providing a vessel for storing gas or liquidcontents, and attaching a first frame disposed at a first end of thevessel and a second frame disposed at a second end of the vessel;configuring a chassis having a first chassis end and a second chassisend opposite the first chassis end, said step of configuring saidchassis including; configuring a hitch on the chassis to connect with avehicle hitch of a vehicle at the first chassis end of the chassis;installing a set of wheels at the second chassis end of the chassis;providing first and second chassis engagement surfaces; and removablypositioning the tank container on the chassis, the tank container beingdisposed over the hitch and over the set of wheels with the first frameproximate to the first chassis end and the second frame proximate to thesecond chassis end.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first andsecond chassis engagement surfaces cooperatively engage the first andsecond container engagement surfaces when positioned on the chassis. 9.The method of claim 7, wherein the step of configuring the chassisincludes providing coupling members at the first and second ends, andwherein the step of positioning the tank container on the chassisincludes coupling the tank container to the chassis at the couplingmembers.
 10. The method of claim 7, further including a step oftransporting the tank container positioned on the chassis over theground by truck.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step ofconfiguring the tank container includes adding tank container supportsand the step of configuring the chassis includes adding landing gear andchassis supports located proximate the landing gear, and wherein thestep of positioning the tank container on the chassis includespositioning the tank supports on top of the chassis supports.
 12. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the step of configuring the tank containerincludes selecting a tank container with a frame supporting the tankcontainer and having a frame width of approximately 8 feet and a frameheight less than the frame width.
 13. The method of claim 7, furtherincluding a step of transporting the tank container without the chassisand wherein the tank container is transported by a shipping methodselected from the group consisting of ground, nautical ship, and rail.14. The method of claim 7, further including a step of transporting thetank container and wherein the tank container is removably secured toone of a rail car, another container, or over the road tractor.
 15. Achassis adapted to receive a tank container, the chassis having firstand second chassis ends and comprising: a base; wheels coupled to thebase; landing gear positioned forward of the wheels, the landing gearbeing disposed longitudinally inward from the first and second chassisends; a first chassis support disposed proximate the landing gear andadapted to contact the tank container at a position longitudinallyinward from the first and second chassis ends; and a second chassissupport adapted to contact the tank container at a position rearward ofthe first support and at a position longitudinally inward from the firstand second chassis ends.
 16. The chassis of claim 15, further comprisingfirst and second chassis engagement surfaces adapted to cooperativelyengage with the tank container to achieve a passive interface betweenthe chassis engagement surfaces and the tank container.
 17. The chassisof claim 15, further comprising a chassis ladder adapted to besubstantially aligned with a container ladder located on the tankcontainer when the tank container is positioned on the chassis.
 18. Thechassis of claim 15, further comprising front and rear crossbeamsrespectively located at the first and second chassis ends.
 19. Thechassis of claim 18, further comprising a hitch pin locatedlongitudinally inward from the front and rear crossbeams.
 20. Thechassis of claim 15, further comprising an intermediate crossbeamcoupled to the landing gear.